THE STAGE BENEATH HER FEET

STAGE BENEATH HER FEET* ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ before the lights ignite, she stands, a silhouette of dreams, silk slippers whispering against the wood. the stage, her steadfast confidant, is the only applause she ever needs. how the world adores the spectacle, the pirouettes that seem to float, the leaps that defy gravity! beyond spotlight is the quiet joy of motion, the grace of being, the art of losing oneself. each twirl, a conversation with the air, each leap, a promise to the crowd. dancing is a wrapped gift opened in the silence between the notes. she dances not for their gaze, but for the stage that cradles her spirit. she dances for the magic of movement as if she were born to sway in the arms of the music, the notes swirling like autumn leaves. *This poem written in remembrance of my aunt, Ann Etgen-Atkinson, a prima ballerina, who recently passed. She dedicated her life to ballet, first as a performer then later as a ballet teacher, choreographer, and original owner of the Dallas Metropolitcan Ballet.